Jeff wisely writes:
>Ferrets NEED their play time OUT of the cage. When I say NEED, that's
>what I mean. Excess time in a cage leads to 'cage stress', which can
>lead to ulcers and other problems.
They also need the mental and physical stimulation of being out. The
range of health problems which are reduced in mammals who exercise a
LOT is dramatically lower than in those which don't. Ferrets need MORE
than 2 or 3 hours during which they can exercise each day -- preferably
a good deal more, though if you really throw yourself into helping them
stay active it MIGHT be possible to make 3 hours work okay (that is a
hopeful statement). They really need to have one or more ferret-proofed
rooms and barriers so that they can run around at will: playing,
stashing, climbing, wrestling, etc. It is good to have a chunk of that
be one-on-one human contact time, not only for the trust and bonding
which develop but also to spot any medical problems early enough.
Have places they can go to for relaxation between play bouts: dark
sleeping boxes such as the sleep boxes here:
http://www.ferretfarm.org/
in "ferret products for ferrets"
or other very dark places they can get to are important to include in
your plans.
Sukie (not a vet)
Recommended ferret health links:
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/http://ferrethealth.org/archive/http://www.afip.org/ferrets/index.htmlhttp://www.miamiferret.org/fhc/http://www.ferretcongress.org/http://www.trifl.org/index.shtmlhttp://homepage.mac.com/sukie/sukiesferretlinks.html
[Posted in FML 5747]
